DARTMOUTH fire station has taken delivery of two new vehicles that crews say will aid rescue capabilities.

Station commander Neil Whitemore said an Iveco light rescue pump had the latest technology, including a compressed air foam system, which would give better firefighting capabilities, together with portable cutting equipment for use at road crashes.

‘The appliance is on a 10 tonne chassis and is slightly smaller making it more accessible and improving response times to incidents,’ he said.

‘Also we have a 4x4 small vehicle with a small pump for restricted access to enhance our response within Dartmouth and surrounding areas. It has off-road capabilities and is ideal for wildfires.

‘Both these vehicles are a fantastic asset to the station and Dartmouth and will help to improve public and firefighter safety.

‘The first incident our new appliance attended was a fire which spread to the roof of a property and the use of the foam system contributed to fire limitation.’

The Dartmouth station is currently looking for new retained on-call firefighters.

Anybody who is interested is invited to visit the station on a Wednesday training night between 7pm and 9pm.

Mr Whitemore said: ‘Many people in the past may not have considered themselves suitable for this roll but this is probably not the case.

‘Firefighters come from a variety of backgrounds from the self-employed, full-time parents, tradespeople, administrators and shopkeepers, but they all share a common purpose wanting to give something back to the community.

‘You will be providing a part-time service, responding to fire and emergency calls in the same way as full-time firefighters. This is an opportunity to be part of a highly trained tight-knit team.

‘Incidents can range from attending fires, floods, road traffic accidents, chemical spills and talking to the community about fire prevention. It is exciting, challenging and most of all rewarding.’

Some of team recently took a break from saving lives and helped to spread the fire prevention message to youngsters at Dartmouth’s Humpty Dumpty Nursery.

Nursery manager Carine Simmonds said: ‘The children were delighted to have a visit from two of the local firefighters and their brand new fire engine.

‘They were able to climb on board and have a little ride around the car park – with the siren going, of course. They then had a go at handling of the fire hose, becoming real firefighters themselves.’